Release Date: 1/22/08

The Show

For some reason, television series that were produced in the 1970’s have that special aura about them. You take those very same premises and transplant them in a 2007 series, and for some reason, they just don’t have that same feeling. Barney Miller – The Complete Second Season is exactly one of those series that I wouldn’t even bother thinking twice about if it were to debut nowadays. However, after spending time with this cop comedy, I’d say that I’m definitely going back and checking out the first season on DVD.

The show followed the daily happenings of a detective’s office in Greenwich Village, New York City. Lead by Captain Barney Miller (Hal Linden), the squad is made up a colorful ragtag group of detectives and their even more colorful crooks and criminals that get bandied in and out each episode. Rather than solely relying on whimsical characters though, the team is up made of actors that know their comedic timing and on screen chemistry. Abe Vigoda plays the grumpy Sergeant Phil Fish, Wojo (Maxwell Gail) is your typical dumb guy that should have been fired years ago, and Nick Yemena (Jack Soo) is your stereotypical Asian guy. Stirring things up even more is the boisterous Puerto Rican, Chano Amenguale (Gregory Sierra), and opinionated African American, Ron Harris (Ron Glass). The cast here does a great job in keeping things light, and at the same time, knowing when to add a bit of gravity to the situation, as they handle cases involving suicide, homosexuality, and drug abuse.

The 3-disc set comes with all 22 episodes from the Second Season with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Doomsday
2. Social Worker
3. The Layoff
4. Ambush
5. Heat Wave
6. Arsonist
7. Grand Hotel
8. Discovery
9. You Dirty Rat
Disc 2
1. The Horse Thief
2. Rain
3. Fish
4. Hot Dogs
5. Protection
6. Happy New Year
7. The Sniper
8. Fear of Flying
9. Block Party
Disc 3
1. Massage Parlor
2. The Pscyhiatrist
3. The Kid
4. The Mole

The DVD

The main menu offered is extremely plain. No introduction, no transitions, and no music. It certainly does the job, but a little more effort in the production values would have been nice.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen Format. Plagued by graininess and lack of detail, it’s not a pretty sight. So much could have been done with the picture and it’s unfortunate. However, it is better than anything on broadcast and it’s certainly serviceable.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Mono. Unfortunately, the sound doesn’t fare much better than the video. It’s distorted and downright annoying to watch the episodes in full. Sure you’ll get used to it, but why would you want to? Thumbs down.

The Extras

The 3-disc set comes in 2 slimeline cases encased within a cardboard box. Episode guide and descriptions are found on the backs of each case. The sole bonus options are Minisodes of Charlie’s Angels and The Facts of Life. Each episode is a condensed version of the full episode and runs 5-6 minutes.

Final Thoughts

Barney Miller – The Complete Second Season is another hilarious season from this overlooked cop comedy from the golden era of television. The lack of bonus options isn’t surprising, even if it would have been nice to have something. This is a must have for fans.

- Morris Tang